Kenmore MS or private?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford it, absolutely. This goes for any APS middle school. They're all about the same level of awful. Come back for high school if need be, but I'd do private in a heartbeat for middle school.

Oh stop with the scare tactics. I agree with the "Most parochial schools are not academically stronger than APS. Most independent schools are similarly situated …. unless you are willing to fork over $55k+, in which case you probably don’t live in Kenmore’s district to begin with."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford it, absolutely. This goes for any APS middle school. They're all about the same level of awful. Come back for high school if need be, but I'd do private in a heartbeat for middle school.

Are they awful academically? Or is it more that middle school is just a tough time socially and private schools may be better positioned to offer a smoother ride, behavior-wise?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford it, absolutely. This goes for any APS middle school. They're all about the same level of awful. Come back for high school if need be, but I'd do private in a heartbeat for middle school.

Are they awful academically? Or is it more that middle school is just a tough time socially and private schools may be better positioned to offer a smoother ride, behavior-wise?

They are awful academically. Across the board. Math departments are usually good but English and science is across the board bad. They don’t read the assigned writing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford it, absolutely. This goes for any APS middle school. They're all about the same level of awful. Come back for high school if need be, but I'd do private in a heartbeat for middle school.

Are they awful academically? Or is it more that middle school is just a tough time socially and private schools may be better positioned to offer a smoother ride, behavior-wise?

They are awful academically. Across the board. Math departments are usually good but English and science is across the board bad. They don’t read the assigned writing!

I agree that English is pretty lacking (which continues at least through 9th grade), but I disagree about math, science, & social studies. Those ranged from pretty good to excellent, in our experience (my kid went to Gunston).

[Anonymous]

Our elementary splits to Kenmore and Swanson. We are on the Swanson side and have never considered private school despite the crowded, old facilities. We were almost rezoned for Kenmore and then were not.

My issue with sending my kids to Kenmore was primarily logistical - they can’t walk. My other issue is that it seems like a caste system where my kids would unconsciously get the idea that less affluent or LatinX kids are not as smart or deserving of opportunities based on who was in their intensified classes. After a few drinks a mom of Kenmore attending and Kenmore bound peer of my son told me she felt bad for my kids going to Swanson. She viewed it as a benefit that her gifted kids had a tight knit cohort where they could be viewed as shining academic stars. In her drunken confession she warned me that my kids would no longer be the brightest in the class at Swanson and would have to fight for spots in coveted classes and activities.

I take all this with a grain of salt. My kids are going to Swanson, so of course I will pay more attention to why that’s a good fit. My acquaintance is sending her kids to Kenmore and of course she has developed talking points to defend a school some people judge as less than stellar. People all bring their own biases to the table. Find a family whose kids are similar to yours that has older kids at Kenmore and ask what their experience has been.

[Anonymous]

Kenmore parent with a bright kid who has an IEP. If I had the money, I would run to a private school. Others are correct to ensure intensified classes & the arts. The divide is real, the needs are significant. Nice teachers, good intentions, but yikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kenmore parent with a bright kid who has an IEP. If I had the money, I would run to a private school. Others are correct to ensure intensified classes & the arts. The divide is real, the needs are significant. Nice teachers, good intentions, but yikes.

Um, you know that IEP is worth nada in private? Unless you are talking about a school that, say, specializes in kids with LDs, you get fewer services in private. And many folks don’t want to pull their kids from a mainstream school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kenmore parent with a bright kid who has an IEP. If I had the money, I would run to a private school. Others are correct to ensure intensified classes & the arts. The divide is real, the needs are significant. Nice teachers, good intentions, but yikes.

Um, you know that IEP is worth nada in private? Unless you are talking about a school that, say, specializes in kids with LDs, you get fewer services in private. And many folks don’t want to pull their kids from a mainstream school.

DP. I think someone with a kid with an IEP understands this. And private schools CAN accommodate certain LDs. It depends what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kenmore parent with a bright kid who has an IEP. If I had the money, I would run to a private school. Others are correct to ensure intensified classes & the arts. The divide is real, the needs are significant. Nice teachers, good intentions, but yikes.

Um, you know that IEP is worth nada in private? Unless you are talking about a school that, say, specializes in kids with LDs, you get fewer services in private. And many folks don’t want to pull their kids from a mainstream school.

DP. I think someone with a kid with an IEP understands this. And private schools CAN accommodate certain LDs. It depends what it is.

BUT if the need for the student requires additional staff (e.g. speech therapist, dedicated aide, etc) then the privates tell you that you need to pay for the resources

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford it, absolutely. This goes for any APS middle school. They're all about the same level of awful. Come back for high school if need be, but I'd do private in a heartbeat for middle school.

Are they awful academically? Or is it more that middle school is just a tough time socially and private schools may be better positioned to offer a smoother ride, behavior-wise?

I don’t think WMS is awful at all. I think it’s actually quite good academically.

[Anonymous]

Long time Kenmore parent here. I have three kids at W-L right now and all were prepared just fine. Even my freshman taking an AP class. Don’t listen to the naysayers. Kenmore is a good school with typical MS challenges. The building so beautiful, the teachers are great, and the community is engaged and involved.

To the Swanson poster- you have got to be kidding me. You sound like a terrible friend. And Swanson is a heap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford it, absolutely. This goes for any APS middle school. They're all about the same level of awful. Come back for high school if need be, but I'd do private in a heartbeat for middle school.

Are they awful academically? Or is it more that middle school is just a tough time socially and private schools may be better positioned to offer a smoother ride, behavior-wise?

Privates offer significantly better academic instruction because:

1. Much smaller class sizes (not true of Catholic schools, but very much so elsewhere)

2. High-needs kids are weeded out. Guess how many SPED/behavior kids are at Sidwell? How many undocumented kids who speak NO English are at St. Albans? (None. And therefore, the classes can move at a much faster pace, covering more rigorous material.) Inclusion isn’t a thing in these schools. High-needs kids simply aren’t admitted.

3. ALL parents at these schools care about their child’s progress. Maybe they are the ones offering support at home, or maybe they farm it out to tutors. The point is, the work is getting done and there isn’t a problem with chronic absenteeism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kenmore parent with a bright kid who has an IEP. If I had the money, I would run to a private school. Others are correct to ensure intensified classes & the arts. The divide is real, the needs are significant. Nice teachers, good intentions, but yikes.

Um, you know that IEP is worth nada in private? Unless you are talking about a school that, say, specializes in kids with LDs, you get fewer services in private. And many folks don’t want to pull their kids from a mainstream school.

True. The best DC privates will toss an application that mentions an iep in the reject pile.

[Anonymous]

Is there still a possibility of the Spanish Immersion program moving to Kenmore?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kenmore parent with a bright kid who has an IEP. If I had the money, I would run to a private school. Others are correct to ensure intensified classes & the arts. The divide is real, the needs are significant. Nice teachers, good intentions, but yikes.

Um, you know that IEP is worth nada in private? Unless you are talking about a school that, say, specializes in kids with LDs, you get fewer services in private. And many folks don’t want to pull their kids from a mainstream school.

DP. I think someone with a kid with an IEP understands this. And private schools CAN accommodate certain LDs. It depends what it is.

PP here: The private schools that we identified could provide the services our learner needs, but we cannot afford the price.
IEPs are beautiful but worthless without a school that is adequately staffed and trained to support the student. Our learner is one that is 2E. None of the needs the learner needs are met at KMS.
We are just waiting until HS and are augmenting with tutoring and a lot of external support.